Michael Neave’s Kitchen and Whisky Bar is hidden at the bottom of Old Fishmarket Close, one of the historical streets that run from the Royal Mile to the Cowgate, in a bright, modern space that was a Thai restaurant the last time I was there (a few years ago now). It…
The Caledonian Hotel has been revived and revitalised and is now a Waldorf Astoria Hotel. It’s sleek in its new colour scheme somehow makes it seems larger, more spacious. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of the carpets – when you visit, you’ll see what I mean – but…
It’s rainy out there. Rainy, dark and windy. When it gets cold outside, I want to be warm inside. Queue an increased tea consumption and comfort food. Comfort food, to me, is starchy and walks a fine line between soothingly bland and heartily savoury. Looking through The Silver Spoon, I…
If you’re an online food business and thinking of having a physical presence somewhere, what are the best steps to take? If you meet the local criteria, you might get a pitch at a Farmers’ Market eventually but the queues are inevitably long. You may take part in one of…
Dalkeith is on the other side of the Edinburgh by-pass from me. It’s not a place I go to on a regular basis as I don’t drive and am rather city-centred. Last week, however, I, intrepid explorer that I am, went to Dalkeith to visit Itihaas, a Bangladeshi and Indian…
I’ve just spent the weekend in a place buzzing with life, good food and great people. Under an hour’s flight from Edinburgh, Belfast has truly captured this girl’s heart. A whirlwind few days saw me eating and drinking the finest produce, meeting some of Northern Ireland’s top chefs and most…
Malmaison sits a little apart from the other bars and restaurants on the Shore in Edinburgh. The first time I went there for a drink was in the late 90s when a friend of mine was touring Scotland taking pictures for a French travel magazine. She was staying there and was most…
In the centre of Edinburgh you’ll find Italian restaurants all over the place. They’ll serve you what you’d expect: pizza, pasta and cheesy delights. I’m not a fan of this type of restaurant. Firstly, a lot of the food is lazy and uninteresting, and secondly, I can make a lot…
How on earth can a wine glass make wine taste better? I went along to Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms to find out. One of the most important facts I learnt when I spent a week at The Glenrothes distillery learning to make whisky, was not about the whisky at all, but…
It was an extraordinary sight, several train passengers embracing staff as they left the train. But there they were on the platform at Waverley one Summer evening. But then it had been no ordinary trip. We’ had just spent the day experiencing Orient Express hospitality on their Northern Belle train. For…
